Alayavijnana -
Store Consciousness

Venerable
Dr. Walpola Rahula

In the
Yogacara (Vijnanavada) School of Buddhism, alayavijnana
is one of the most important doctrines developed by Asanga (fourth
century A.C.). He divides the vijnanaskandha (Aggregate of
Conciousness) the fifth of the five skandhas, into three
different aspects or layers, namely, citta, manas and vijnana.
In the Theravada Tipitaka as well as in the Pali Commentaries, these
three terms - citta, manas, vijnana - are considered as
synonyms denoting the same thing. The Sarvistivada also takes
them as synonyms. Even the Lankavatarasutra, which is purely a
Mahayana text, calls them synonyms although their separate functions are
mentioned elsewhere in the same sutra. Vasubandhu, too, in his Vimsatikavijnapti-matratasiddhi
considers them as synonyms. Since any one of these three terms - citta,
manas, vijnanas - represents some aspect, even though not all
aspects, of the fifth Aggregate vijnanaskandha, they may
roughly be considered as synonyms.

However, for Asanga, citta, manas
and vijnana are three different and distinct aspects of the vyjnanaskandha.
He defines this Aggregate as follows:

'What is the definition of the
Aggregate of Consciousness (vijnanaskandha)? It is mind (citta),
mental organ (manas) and also consciousness (vijnana).

"And there what is mind (citta)?
It is alayavijnana (Store-Consciousness) containing all seeds
(sarvabijaka), impregnated with the traces (impressions) (vasanaparibhavita)
of Aggregates (skandha), Elements (dhatu) and
Spheres (ayatana) ...

'What is mental organ (manas)?
It is the object of alayavijnana always having the nature of
self-notion (self-conceit) (manyanatmaka) associated with
four defilements, viz. the false idea of self (atmadrsti),
self-love (atmasneha), the conceit of 'I am' (asmimana)
and ignorance (avidya) ...

Thus we can see that vijnana
represents the simple reaction or response of the sense-organs when they
come in contact with external objects. This is the uppermost or
superficial aspect or layer of the vijnanaskandha. Manas
represents the aspect of its mental functioning, thinking, reasoning,
conceiving ideas, etc. Citta, which is here called alayavijnana,
represents the deepest, finest and subtlest aspect or layer of the
Aggregate of Consciousness. It contains all the traces or impressions of
the past actions and all good and bad future potentialities. The Sandhinirmocana-sutra
also says that alayavijnana is called citta (Tibetan sems).

It is generally believed that
alayavijnana is purely a Mahayana doctrine and that nothing about it is
found in Hinayana. But in the Mahayanasangraha, Asanga himself
says that in the Sravakayana (= Hinayana) it is mentioned by
synonyms (paryaya) and refers to a passage in the Ekottaragama
which reads: 'People (praja) like the alaya (alayarata), are fond of
the alaya (alayarama), are delighted in the alaya (alayasammudita), are
attached to the alaya (alayabhirata). When the Dharma is preached for
the destruction of the alaya, they wish to listen (susrusanti) and lend
their ears (srotram avadadhanti), they put forth a will for the perfect
knowledge (ajnacittam upasthapayanti) and follow the path of Truth
(dharmanudharma-pratipanna). When the Tathagata appears in the world
(pradurbhava), this marvellous (ascarya) and extraordinary (adbhuta)
Dharma appears in the world.'

Besides this Anguttara passage,
the term alaya in the same sense is found in several other
places of the Pali Canon. The Pali Commentaries explain this term as
'attachment to the five sense-pleasures", and do not go deeper than
that. But this also is an aspect of the alayavijnana.

In the Lankavatarasutra the
term tathagatagarbha is used as a synonym for alayavijnana
and is described as 'luminous by nature' (prakrtiprabhasvara)
and 'pure by nature' (prakrtiparisuddha) but appearing as
impure 'because it is sullied by adventitious defilements' (agantuklesopaklistataya).
In the Anguttaranikaya, citta is described as 'luminous' (pabhassara),
but it is 'sullied by adventitious minor defilements' (agantukehi
upakkilesehi upakkilittham). One may notice here that alaya-vijnana
(or tathagatgarbha) and citta are described almost by
the same terms. We have seen earlier that the Sandhi-nirmocana-sutra
says that alayavijnana is also called citta. Asanga
too mentions that it is named citta.

It is this alayavijnana or citta
that is considered by men as their "Soul', 'Self', 'Ego' or
'Atman'. It should be remembered as a concrete example, that Sati,
one of the Buddha's disciples, took vinnan (vijnana)
in this sense and that the Buddha reprimanded him for this wrong view.

The attainment of Nirvana is achieved by
'the revolution of alayavijnana' which is called asrayaparavrtti.
The same idea is conveyed by the expression alayasamugghata -
'uprooting of alaya' - which is used in the Pali Canon as a synonym for
Nirvana. Here it should be remembered, too, that analaya,
'no-alaya', is another synonym for Nirvana.

The alayavijnanaparavrtti is
sometimes called bijaparavrtti - 'revolution of the seeds' - as
well. Bija here signifies the 'seeds' of defilements (samklesikadharmabija)
which cause the continuity of samsara. By the 'revolution of
these seeds' one attains Nirvana. Again the Pali term khinabija,
which is used to denote an arahant whose seeds of defilements are
destroyed', expresses the same idea.

Thus one may see that, although not
developed as in the Mahayana, the original idea of alayavijnana
was already there in the Pali Canon of the Theravada./.